The team over at 9Marks has devoted their most recent ejournal to discussing the relationship between the church and the parachurch. While there are many things to appreciate about their work, and many great articles to consider, I wanted to call particular attention to one. In his piece the “Nine Marks of a Healthy Parachurch,” author J. Mack Stiles builds a compelling case for the 9 distinguishing marks of a strong parachurch organization. One in particular that I thought had real merit is Mark #7, which states:
The healthy parachurch has a counter-cultural understanding of management and money.
After sharing his significant unease concerning the creep of corporate culture into the parachurch, Stiles contends that, “parachurch ministries need an understanding of management and money that runs counter to worldly culture.” He continues by issuing a radical call for management structures to have greater fidelity to a Biblical model, stating that “corporate leadership erodes a biblical mindset,” leading to the erosion of principle and eventually the non-profit itself.
But, I think we’ve heard this story before (Matt 7:24-27)!
He goes on to contend that this attrition relative to core values most often manifests itself in the in the acquisition of resources, to which I would heartily agree. In a move (or many moves for that matter) to expediency regarding resource development, there is often a methodological lack of discretion leading non-profits down a road of market-based tactics and an “ends justifies the means” mindset.
Stiles continues, by pointing out that, “it’s the danger [and] pressure to raise funds that overrides the confession and mission of a parachurch ministry.” Further pointing out the glaring disparity between our Gospel confession and Biblical worldview and how often it is sacrificed when it comes to raising the necessary resources to keep the doors open.
One thing he mentions in passing that I found encouraging, especially in light of the Mission Increase training model, where we actively seek to make much of the Scriptures is,
“Training events for parachurch workers should focus on the Bible and on integrating the gospel into ministry; if there is time left over, some training on fund raising is okay, too. Unfortunately, the emphases are often the other way around.”
While perhaps that’s a bit hyperbolic, I think we can agree that his point does have some merit. The Gospel is the core distinctive for the Christ-centered non-profit, not only shaping and informing our programs, but equally shaping our internal culture and our development practice as well. Or at least it should be. For it is the Gospel that reveals to us the power of God in its richest form (I Cor. 1:18), serves as our daily protection in the work (Eph 6:10-20), transforms us into image and likeness of Christ (II Cor 3:18), stirs in us a deep affection for our brothers and sisters, such that we would desire, like Paul, to share our very lives as well (I Thess 2:8)...and we could say much more. The Gospel is the demonstration of God’s love towards us (Rom 5:8) and the thing that shapes our ethic of love towards others – which in everyway should and must inform how we carry out our calling as development staff.
Well, Stiles concludes in this way:
"Bottomline: healthy parachurch ministries need to issue constant, radical, internal calls for the organization to be driven by the gospel rather than by management principles, finances, and fundraising. That way, the ministry looks like a ministry from top to bottom."
Amen and amen. While conventional wisdom adds value to the conversation, its Biblical wisdom that has teeth. I pray that these radical calls to be driven by the Gospel would lead each of us into deep places of meditation relative to our practice and that our perspectives might be re-shaped by the power of the Gospel itself. Might we be people marked by the change that Christ has worked in us, and might that change influence the way we invite others to experience life that is truly life (I Tim 6:17-19).
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